Excerpt
GWEN IFILL (Newshour): Now to the second of our stories on the role of technology in unraveling the Boston bombing case.
Last night, science correspondent Miles O'Brien traveled to an explosives testing facility to learn more about the bomb itself. Tonight, as part of his work for a special NOVA program (53:07), he reports on the facial recognition software that allowed investigators to identify the bombing suspects.
MILES O'BRIEN (Newshour): It is a small unit on the cusp of a big change in the way police do their job. Welcome to the New York Police Department's facial identification section.
Inspector Ken Mekeel is the man in charge.
Do you feel like you're sort of at the beginning of when fingerprints first came in? Is this the beginning of where policing is headed, in many respects?
INSPECTOR KENNETH MEKEEL, New York Police Department: Yes, very much so. It's not as good as a fingerprint.
MILES O'BRIEN: Right.
KENNETH MEKEEL: This doesn't have the confidence level of that. It's not a definitive science such as fingerprints and DNA. But this is good.
Just basically, maybe we can get a lead. Maybe we can be pointed in a direction that this might be a possible person. Hollywood makes facial recognition look easy. But when you face the facts, this law enforcement tool is not as easy as it looks in the movies.
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